:Pankajavalli (film)
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Pankajavalli film poster.jpg
| caption = Poster
| director = S. Soundararajan Ayyangar
| screenplay = S. Soundararajan Ayyangar
| based_on = {{based on|Malayala Pankajavalli}}
| producer = S. Soundararajan Ayyangar
| starring = P. U. Chinnappa
T. R. Rajakumari
Kumari Rukmani
| cinematography =
| editing =
| music = Papanasam Sivan
| studio = Tamil Nadu Talkies
| distributor = Valli Pictures
| released = {{Film date|1947|2|5|ref1=|df=y}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Pankajavalli is a 1947 Indian Tamil-language film written, produced and directed by S. Soundararajan.{{Cite book |last=Dhananjayan |first=G. |title=Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931–2013 |title-link=Pride of Tamil Cinema |publisher=Blue Ocean Publishers |year=2014 |pages=99 |oclc=898765509 |author-link=G. Dhananjayan}} The film starred P. U. Chinnappa, T. R. Rajakumari and Kumari Rukmani.{{Cite web |title=1947-1946 – பங்கஜவல்லி – தமிழ்நாடுடாக்கீஸ் |trans-title=1947-1946 – Pankajavalli – Tamil Nadu Talkies |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1947-cinedetails17.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190730003801/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1947-cinedetails17.asp |archive-date=30 July 2019 |access-date=30 July 2019 |website=Lakshman Sruthi |language=Tamil}} The film was basically the story of Alli, who dominates men in her kingdom and treats them like slaves.{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=2013-07-27 |title=Pankajavalli (1947) |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/pankajavalli-1947/article4959796.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205170938/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/pankajavalli-1947/article4959796.ece |archive-date=5 December 2022 |access-date=2021-12-17 |work=The Hindu}} The film was inspired by the popular Kerala folktale Malayala Pankajavalli, which Ayyangar adapted. The film was released on 5 February 1947.{{Cite news |date=5 February 1947 |title=Pankajavalli |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19470205&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=2025-01-18 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}
Plot
Arjuna decides to conquer Pankajavalli. However, she captures him. He prays to Krishna, who turns him into a woman named Brihannala. After many incidents, the truth comes out and everything ends happily.
Cast
- P. U. Chinnappa as Arjuna
- T. R. Rajakumari as Pankajavalli
- Kumari Rukmaini as Krishna
Production
The role of Krishna was played by a woman, at a time when women portray male figures was unusual.
Soundtrack
The film's music was composed and lyrics by Papanasam Sivan. His assistant and P. U. Chinnappa sat together. Chinnappa apparently felt that Papanasam Sivan favoured M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. So during the session, he expressed this to Sivan, who smiled and told him that while Bhagavathar had a high pitched voice conducive for songs such as Manmadaleelaiyai (from Haridas) Chinnappa had a low-pitched voice. After, this Sivan wrote the opening line of the first song of the film – a prayer song in Ragha Karaha Priya. Sivan also sang the song Nee Illamal Anuvum Asaiyumo.
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| style="text-align: center;"
! No !! Songs !! Singer !! Lyrics !! Duration | ||||
| 1 | "Nee Illamal Anuvum Aasaiyumo" | P. U. Chinnappa | rowspan=6|Papanasam Sivan | 03:19 |
| 2 | "Aaruyirellam Amuthum" | P. U. Chinnappa | 03:14 | |
| 3 | "Dheivamum Mandhira Vaal | T. R. Rajakumari | 03:02 | |
| 4 | "Devinin Vadivazhagai" | T. R. Rajakumari | 03:03 | |
| 5 | "Vennilave.... Aaruyirkkellam" | P. U. Chinnappa | 03:18 | |
| 6 | "Utthama Nanban Unpol Undo" | P. U. Chinnappa | 03:11 |
References
{{reflist}}